Doha (Qatar), Dec 12 (Ians) Morocco are the revelation of the Qatar World Cup, becoming the first African side ever to reach the semifinals of the World Cup thanks to performances brimming with passion and defensive intensity.
Moroccan fans have given life and colour to the stands in a tournament that has at times lacked a true football atmosphere.
The stadium announcers have tended to make the biggest noise in most of the World Cup Stadiums, but that’s not the case when Morocco play, with the wave of red shirts and flags turning the last two ties into virtual ‘home’ games for Morocco.
Morocco’s progress is maybe not as big a surprise as many are making out, given that nearly all of their team plays at the highest level of European football, but there is no doubt that coach, Walid Regragui has drilled them into a formidable defensive unit.
Moroccan fans have given life and colour to the stands in a tournament that has at times lacked a true football atmosphere.
The stadium announcers have tended to make the biggest noise in most of the World Cup Stadiums, but that’s not the case when Morocco play, with the wave of red shirts and flags turning the last two ties into virtual ‘home’ games for Morocco.
Morocco’s progress is maybe not as big a surprise as many are making out, given that nearly all of their team plays at the highest level of European football, but there is no doubt that coach, Walid Regragui has drilled them into a formidable defensive unit.
- 12/12/2022
- by Glamsham Bureau
- GlamSham
EA Sports FIFA players now have access to one of the most lethal strike-forces in football history, with the news that Diego Maradona, Pelé and Ronaldinho are teaming-up in a Soccer Aid World XI Fc team.
This is the first time ever that Maradona, Pelé and Ronaldinho will be playable from the start, in the same side, without the need for transfers.
Robbie Williams is set to play with the Soccer Aid World XI Fc in eSoccer Aid – an online competition on Saturday 27th June raising money to help stop the spread of coronavirus and limit the impact on children’s lives.
Unicef UK Ambassador and Soccer Aid for Unicef Co-Founder, Robbie Williams, said: "This is a unique and wonderful initiative to be part of because the Soccer Aid World XI Fc is needed more than ever before. We have been able to bring together some of the best players...
This is the first time ever that Maradona, Pelé and Ronaldinho will be playable from the start, in the same side, without the need for transfers.
Robbie Williams is set to play with the Soccer Aid World XI Fc in eSoccer Aid – an online competition on Saturday 27th June raising money to help stop the spread of coronavirus and limit the impact on children’s lives.
Unicef UK Ambassador and Soccer Aid for Unicef Co-Founder, Robbie Williams, said: "This is a unique and wonderful initiative to be part of because the Soccer Aid World XI Fc is needed more than ever before. We have been able to bring together some of the best players...
- 6/22/2020
- Look to the Stars
It's all fun and games on Play To The Whistle as Frank Lampard and Bradley Walsh have taken on the diving challenge.
The team captains attempted to leap the furthest on a bouncy penalty box for this weekend's edition of the ITV sporting game show.
Host Holly Willoughby, Pat Cash, Romesh Ranganathan, Natalie Anderson, Jimmy Bullard and Seann Walsh also took on the challenge.
Frank Lampard and Christine Bleakley's relationship survived a game of Mr & Mrs on Play To The Whistle recently.
Fabio Cannavaro dropped the ball, however, mistaking Lampard for Steven Gerrard in an embarrassing Facebook post.
Play to the Whistle will air at 9.15pm on Saturday on ITV.
The team captains attempted to leap the furthest on a bouncy penalty box for this weekend's edition of the ITV sporting game show.
Host Holly Willoughby, Pat Cash, Romesh Ranganathan, Natalie Anderson, Jimmy Bullard and Seann Walsh also took on the challenge.
Frank Lampard and Christine Bleakley's relationship survived a game of Mr & Mrs on Play To The Whistle recently.
Fabio Cannavaro dropped the ball, however, mistaking Lampard for Steven Gerrard in an embarrassing Facebook post.
Play to the Whistle will air at 9.15pm on Saturday on ITV.
- 5/18/2015
- Digital Spy
AP Photo/Andres Kudacki
In terms of football, the 21st century has been magnificent. The game has continued to grow, and the battle for its top prizes seems to get more and more competitive by the year. Over the last 14 years, we have witnessed Barcelona become arguably the greatest club side ever, Arsenal and Juventus go entire domestic seasons unbeaten, Manchester United dominate much of the English game and Brazil, Italy, Spain and Germany win the World Cup.
During that same time frame there have been some truly astounding players to grace the game. Goalkeepers and defenders like Manuel Neuer, Gianluigi Buffon, Fabio Cannavaro, Cafu and Philipp Lahm have shown their consistent brilliance, English stars like Steven Gerrard, Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney have been world-class for long periods and supreme strikers like Raul, Andriy Shevchenko and Luis Suarez have wowed audiences week in, week out with their talent. None...
In terms of football, the 21st century has been magnificent. The game has continued to grow, and the battle for its top prizes seems to get more and more competitive by the year. Over the last 14 years, we have witnessed Barcelona become arguably the greatest club side ever, Arsenal and Juventus go entire domestic seasons unbeaten, Manchester United dominate much of the English game and Brazil, Italy, Spain and Germany win the World Cup.
During that same time frame there have been some truly astounding players to grace the game. Goalkeepers and defenders like Manuel Neuer, Gianluigi Buffon, Fabio Cannavaro, Cafu and Philipp Lahm have shown their consistent brilliance, English stars like Steven Gerrard, Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney have been world-class for long periods and supreme strikers like Raul, Andriy Shevchenko and Luis Suarez have wowed audiences week in, week out with their talent. None...
- 11/27/2014
- by Henry Jackson
- Obsessed with Film
Jon Super/AP
Liverpool are in Spain preparing for tonight’s daunting Champions League showdown with Real Madrid, knowing that a victory would arguably be the most unlikely triumph in the club’s history. Brendan Rodgers’ side are in extremely poor form, both domestically and in Europe, while Carlo Ancelotti’s star-studded team are scoring goals for fun and are the current champions of Europe. They key question is: has there ever been a game the Reds were less likely to win since the competition’s inception in 1992?
The 2005 Champions League Final is probably a good place to start. AC Milan, managed by Ancelotti at the time, had a ridiculous amount of talent in their side, whether it be Cafu and Paolo Maldini at the back, Andrea Pirlo, Clarence Seedorf and Kaka in midfield or the brilliant Andriy Shevchenko up front. Not many gave Rafa Benitez’s Liverpool much hope,...
Liverpool are in Spain preparing for tonight’s daunting Champions League showdown with Real Madrid, knowing that a victory would arguably be the most unlikely triumph in the club’s history. Brendan Rodgers’ side are in extremely poor form, both domestically and in Europe, while Carlo Ancelotti’s star-studded team are scoring goals for fun and are the current champions of Europe. They key question is: has there ever been a game the Reds were less likely to win since the competition’s inception in 1992?
The 2005 Champions League Final is probably a good place to start. AC Milan, managed by Ancelotti at the time, had a ridiculous amount of talent in their side, whether it be Cafu and Paolo Maldini at the back, Andrea Pirlo, Clarence Seedorf and Kaka in midfield or the brilliant Andriy Shevchenko up front. Not many gave Rafa Benitez’s Liverpool much hope,...
- 11/4/2014
- by Henry Jackson
- Obsessed with Film
I never thought I'd ever say this, but ITV aren't as bad as everyone makes out when it comes to live football. Hear me out - it's not as crazy as it may first sound.
For years, I've been baffled that anyone would choose to watch ITV over BBC One if given the choice. However, as this year's World Cup has proved so far, both channels have had their fair share of gaffes and errors.
The BBC is pretty stellar when it comes to live tennis, snooker, athletics and many other sports, and Match of the Day is clearly light years ahead of ITV's The Premiership, but has ITV suddenly gained back some ground this year?
There's probably two words that you're thinking which throws out my argument: Adrian Chiles. The former BBC man has become the face of ITV football, possibly because they're stuck with him and don't know where to plonk him.
For years, I've been baffled that anyone would choose to watch ITV over BBC One if given the choice. However, as this year's World Cup has proved so far, both channels have had their fair share of gaffes and errors.
The BBC is pretty stellar when it comes to live tennis, snooker, athletics and many other sports, and Match of the Day is clearly light years ahead of ITV's The Premiership, but has ITV suddenly gained back some ground this year?
There's probably two words that you're thinking which throws out my argument: Adrian Chiles. The former BBC man has become the face of ITV football, possibly because they're stuck with him and don't know where to plonk him.
- 6/19/2014
- Digital Spy
Brazil; a country famed for its sunshine, vibrancy and unrivalled passion for the beautiful game. What do we give it in return? Adrian Chiles. It hardly seems like a fair deal.
Is it any surprise that Chiles and his ITV team found themselves under fire from Brazilian members of the public, who pelted the ITV glass studio? We've had to suffer Chiles and Andy Townsend's "top, top" commentary cliches for years, so count yourself lucky guys.
Of course, the studio attack wasn't really about the arrival of Adrian Chiles's face on Brazilian soil. It was actually about deep-rooted political and social unrest and the fact some people are not happy at the money that has been pumped into the 'carnival of football'.
However, give the Brazilians a month of ITV Sport 'banter' and the terrible twosome of Tyldesley and Townsend and they'll soon realise that there are things much...
Is it any surprise that Chiles and his ITV team found themselves under fire from Brazilian members of the public, who pelted the ITV glass studio? We've had to suffer Chiles and Andy Townsend's "top, top" commentary cliches for years, so count yourself lucky guys.
Of course, the studio attack wasn't really about the arrival of Adrian Chiles's face on Brazilian soil. It was actually about deep-rooted political and social unrest and the fact some people are not happy at the money that has been pumped into the 'carnival of football'.
However, give the Brazilians a month of ITV Sport 'banter' and the terrible twosome of Tyldesley and Townsend and they'll soon realise that there are things much...
- 6/13/2014
- Digital Spy
Roy Keane has quit ITV's World Cup punditry team to focus on football coaching.
The former Manchester United captain currently works with the Republic of Ireland setup, and has also been linked with an assistant role at Aston Villa under Paul Lambert.
An ITV spokesperson said: "Roy has been a tremendous part of our pundit team in recent years, but we fully understand his decision to concentrate wholly on his coaching. We wish him every success for the future."
Adrian Chiles will present ITV's World Cup 2014 coverage, and will be joined by pundits including Lee Dixon, Patrick Vieira, Glenn Hoddle, Ian Wright, Andros Townsend, Martin O'Neill, Gordon Strachan, Gus Poyet and Fabio Cannavaro.
Keane previously appeared at ITV's World Cup launch two weeks ago, but has decided not to travel to Brazil.
ITV is thought to be open to Keane returning in the future.
The former Manchester United captain currently works with the Republic of Ireland setup, and has also been linked with an assistant role at Aston Villa under Paul Lambert.
An ITV spokesperson said: "Roy has been a tremendous part of our pundit team in recent years, but we fully understand his decision to concentrate wholly on his coaching. We wish him every success for the future."
Adrian Chiles will present ITV's World Cup 2014 coverage, and will be joined by pundits including Lee Dixon, Patrick Vieira, Glenn Hoddle, Ian Wright, Andros Townsend, Martin O'Neill, Gordon Strachan, Gus Poyet and Fabio Cannavaro.
Keane previously appeared at ITV's World Cup launch two weeks ago, but has decided not to travel to Brazil.
ITV is thought to be open to Keane returning in the future.
- 6/3/2014
- Digital Spy
HollywoodNews.com: Cristiano Ronaldo and his Portugal team may have lost at the FIFA World Cup, but his looks are still winning him awards.
BeautifulPeople.com, the dating site with a strict ban on ugly people, has put each World Cup player through its merciless rating system to reveal who scores when it comes to looks. The most beautiful teams are Spain, Italy, Brazil, France, Denmark and the USA – they all have at least one beautiful player and the lowest number of unattractive players. The least attractive teams are Switzerland, Australia, England, Serbia, North Korea and Algeria.
Greg Hodge, managing director of BeautifulPeople.com said: “The most beautiful player according to our members is Italy’s Fabio Cannavaro, followed by two Spanish players, Fernando Torres and David Villa.
“American talisman Landon Donovan, who wept after he helped the USA win their group, was voted fourth most beautiful player.
“Collectively, the worst looking team is Algeria,...
BeautifulPeople.com, the dating site with a strict ban on ugly people, has put each World Cup player through its merciless rating system to reveal who scores when it comes to looks. The most beautiful teams are Spain, Italy, Brazil, France, Denmark and the USA – they all have at least one beautiful player and the lowest number of unattractive players. The least attractive teams are Switzerland, Australia, England, Serbia, North Korea and Algeria.
Greg Hodge, managing director of BeautifulPeople.com said: “The most beautiful player according to our members is Italy’s Fabio Cannavaro, followed by two Spanish players, Fernando Torres and David Villa.
“American talisman Landon Donovan, who wept after he helped the USA win their group, was voted fourth most beautiful player.
“Collectively, the worst looking team is Algeria,...
- 7/7/2010
- by HollywoodNews.com
- Hollywoodnews.com
What do Ronaldinho, Didier Drogba, Fabio Cannavaro, Franck Ribery, Landon Donovan, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Roger Federer, and Homer Simpson have in common? Yes, they are all stars of Nike's "Write the Future" ad campaign and, with the exception of Homer Simpson, recently defeated athletes. Rumors of a sports curse around the ads are growing, and Rachel Maddow believes them.
- 7/2/2010
- by Frances Martel
- Mediaite - TV
Didier Drogba of Ivory Coast and Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal
actually embrace at the World Cup Tournament after merely having
been photoshopped together on a recent Vanity Fair cover.
Soccer. Your people call it "football." That's really quaint, but misguided since football is already in use to describe that game they play with all the Super Bowl commercials. But hey, just to prove I'm not a culturally insensitive American, I'll refer to this soccer thing you got going as "football" within this post.
We strive to be a well-rounded website around here, so I got tasked with writing something up about the 2010 World Cup. Trouble was, I knew practically nothing about the event starting out, other than it involves a cup of some sort and lots of countries are involved. And people really seem to get worked up about it.
Oh, to have this guy's enthusiasm.
I'm sure I'm not...
actually embrace at the World Cup Tournament after merely having
been photoshopped together on a recent Vanity Fair cover.
Soccer. Your people call it "football." That's really quaint, but misguided since football is already in use to describe that game they play with all the Super Bowl commercials. But hey, just to prove I'm not a culturally insensitive American, I'll refer to this soccer thing you got going as "football" within this post.
We strive to be a well-rounded website around here, so I got tasked with writing something up about the 2010 World Cup. Trouble was, I knew practically nothing about the event starting out, other than it involves a cup of some sort and lots of countries are involved. And people really seem to get worked up about it.
Oh, to have this guy's enthusiasm.
I'm sure I'm not...
- 6/23/2010
- by dennis
- The Backlot
Via http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaymeydad/3783054484/" target="_blank">jaymeydad/Flickr. Tom Watt, the English actor, broadcaster, and soccer writer, has accomplished something rather marvelous with A Beautiful Game. This is more than simply an attractive coffee table book full of wonderful photographs of some of the world’s best soccer players. Watt has also managed to get these players to put pen to paper and open up in ways we’re not used to seeing. Watt sets the tone with a foreword by Arsene Wenger and an introduction by David Beckham, and it just gets better from there. There are stories from Lionel Messi, Fabio Cannavaro, and Franck Ribery, along with many others. In this reading for Fair Play, Landon Donovan explains how his love of soccer began at a young age—growing up poor east of Los Angeles, he got his first lessons on the pitch from his older brother,...
- 6/12/2010
- Vanity Fair
Adidas may be one of the official sponsors of the World Cup, providing the players with the Jabulani cup ball, but despite all that spend, it's still lagging behind Nike when it comes to brand awareness. A study done for Nielsen analyzed a bunch of social media, blogs, and message boards to discover that the U.S. sports giant is talked about almost twice as much as its German counterpart. Perhaps, in part, due to Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu's awesome "Write The Future" ad.
[youtube idLG6jh23yE]
Adidas, which is outfitting 12 of the teams, compared to Nike's 9--including the U.S.A.--can only muster 14.4% of the "official and competitor buzz" as Nielsen has it, compared to Nike's 30.2%. It's bought the top banner ad on YouTube (which has readapted its logo for the forthcoming football frenzy) and is showing what can only be Crouching Striker Hidden Beckham (he may not be playing in South Africa,...
[youtube idLG6jh23yE]
Adidas, which is outfitting 12 of the teams, compared to Nike's 9--including the U.S.A.--can only muster 14.4% of the "official and competitor buzz" as Nielsen has it, compared to Nike's 30.2%. It's bought the top banner ad on YouTube (which has readapted its logo for the forthcoming football frenzy) and is showing what can only be Crouching Striker Hidden Beckham (he may not be playing in South Africa,...
- 6/11/2010
- by Addy Dugdale
- Fast Company
As if we weren't jacked up enough for the start of the World Cup on Friday (June 11), along comes this fantastic three-minute promo starring the Nike-endorsing stars of global soccer to make us even more excited.
Yes, we know -- the intent is to sell shoes, replica shirts and other swoosh-emblazoned gear. But the video, directed by Alejandro Inarritu ("Babel"), is also just flat-out exciting, not to mention gorgeously shot.
The primary stars are Ivory Coast's Didier Drogba -- whose status for the tournament is still up in the air following surgery for an arm injury -- Italy's Fabio Cannavaro, England's Wayne Rooney, Brazil's Ronaldinho -- who was left off his country's final World Cup roster -- and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, the 2008 world player of the year. Several other World Cup notables, including U.S. players Landon Donovan and Tim Howard, along with Kobe Bryant and Roger Federer -- heck,...
Yes, we know -- the intent is to sell shoes, replica shirts and other swoosh-emblazoned gear. But the video, directed by Alejandro Inarritu ("Babel"), is also just flat-out exciting, not to mention gorgeously shot.
The primary stars are Ivory Coast's Didier Drogba -- whose status for the tournament is still up in the air following surgery for an arm injury -- Italy's Fabio Cannavaro, England's Wayne Rooney, Brazil's Ronaldinho -- who was left off his country's final World Cup roster -- and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, the 2008 world player of the year. Several other World Cup notables, including U.S. players Landon Donovan and Tim Howard, along with Kobe Bryant and Roger Federer -- heck,...
- 6/11/2010
- by editorial@zap2it.com
- Zap2It - From Inside the Box
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.